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A longitudinal study of two early intervention strategies: Project CARE
B H Wasik1, C T Ramey, D M Bryant
1Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-8180.
Child Development
|December 1, 1990
Summary
A comprehensive early intervention program combining family education and center-based day care significantly improved cognitive development in at-risk children. Home-based family education alone did not yield similar cognitive benefits.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Developmental Psychology
- Early Intervention
Background:
- Children at risk for cognitive difficulties require effective early interventions.
- Identifying optimal intervention strategies is crucial for supporting child development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of two different early intervention programs on cognitive development.
- To compare a combined center-based and home-based intervention with a home-based intervention alone.
Main Methods:
- Randomized controlled trial with 65 families and at-risk infants.
- Intervention groups: intensive (day care + family education) vs. less intensive (family education only).
- Cognitive assessments: Bayley Scales, Stanford-Binet, McCarthy Scales at multiple time points.
Main Results:
- Children in the intensive intervention group showed significantly higher cognitive scores after 6 months.
- The family education-only group did not demonstrate significant cognitive improvements compared to the control.
- No group differences were observed in home environment quality or parent attention.
Conclusions:
- A comprehensive early intervention including center-based day care and family support is effective for enhancing cognitive development in at-risk children.
- Home-based family education alone may not be sufficient to produce measurable cognitive gains.
- Early intervention strategies should consider multifaceted approaches for maximum impact.